Duchess Sophie's lifelong regret still haunts her

Duchess Sophie, who's loved and respected for her devotion and dedication to the royal family, remains haunted by a lifelong tragedy.

The Duchess of Edinburg's heartbreaking loss that took place 20 years ago still brings tears to her eyes.

Sophie had to struggle with several things during the early years of her marriage to Prince Edward, even facing unexpected medical emergency.

The health woes even put both Sophie and her soon-to-be born daughter's life at risk with Louise being born via an emergency caesarean section. The harrowing incident that landed her in the hospital under urgent circumstances.

It all happened when Edward was thousands of miles away on a royal tour of Mauritius.

However, Duchess suffered irreparable loss in August 29, 2005 when Sophie's mother Mary Rhys-Jones breathed his last at the age of 71 following a short battle with colon cancer.

Royal author Sean Smith looks back at how Mary's passing in his biography about Sophie, revealing she died when Louise was just 18 months old and two years before her grandson James was born.

The author claimed it was a 'source of great regret for Sophie' that Mary 'missed out on seeing her grandchildren grow up'. It still hunts the royal even after two decades.

Mary's funeral took place two on September 16 2005 at St George's Parish Church, in Benenden, Kent. Smith penned: 'The turnout at the local church was huge, a tribute to a woman who was a very popular and sociable member of the community for many years.'

She came from a family of mainly Irish shopkeepers and farmers. Mary tied the knot with Christopher Rhys-Jones in 1961 and then had a career as a part-time secretary and charity worker Her final years were defined by Sophie's marriage into the royal family which led Mary to 'find unexpected prominence late in life.'